Fiberboard container



-G. R. KARR ErAL FIBERBOARD CONTAINER Filed oct. 1. 1959 Oct. 25, 1960 FIBERBARD George R. Karr, Portland, Gregg-and Prescott Blount, Orinda, Calif.,v assignorsto Western Corrugated, Inc., a corporationof Califolr'llay Filed; oct. 1, i959, ser; No. s433360 4,"C1aims. (cansa-11s);y

This invention relates to aiiberboard container which may be formed of va single, rectangular blankY and more particularly to a covered iberboard container formed of a single blank having a reinforcedbottom and rein-` forced sides.

It is an object of this invention to provide a flberboard container suitable for carrying relatively heavy objects4 and which exhibits considerable stacking strength. Y

Other objects and advantages of this invention, if not specifically set forth, will become apparent during the course of the description which follows.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the berboard blank of this invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the container erected from the blank of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the erected container taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Generally, the carton of this invention is particularly designed for containing foods and produce and is characterized by its triple reinforced bottom and its quadruple reinforced ends. The container thus has extreme strength and rigidity, both when stacked and when filled.

Referring to the drawings Whereinlike characters refer to4 like parts throughout, there is shown a single, rectangular blank wherein many of the score lines thereof which divide the various panelsI form continuous, straight lines. This makes possible the formation of many of the score lines with rotating scoring equipment beneath which the blanks may be moved. The outer (lowermost) bottom of the container has score lines 12 running longitudinally thereof, providing hinges for side panels 14 and 16. These side panels may have one or more Ventilating holes therein. Score lines 18 and 20 run along the topmost longitudinal edges of the box and articulated therealong are cover panels 22 and 24. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, large ventilation holes are spaced along score lines 18 and 20. Side panel 14 is provided with score lines 26 along which a pair of generally U-shaped internal end panels 28 and 30 are hinged. Similarly, the opposite side wall 16 is provided with score lines 32 yalong which external end panels 34 and 36 are hinged. As shown, these external end panels may be provided with a tab 38 therein, shown cut on three sides and hinged on the fourth (alternatively, the rectangle shown may be cut entirely free) whereby to provide means for gripping the assembled carton with the fingers.

Each of the exterior end panels 34 and 36 has hinged thereto along lines 40 and 42, respectively, a bottom reinforcing panel designated 44 or 46. In its longest dimension, extending, in the case of panel 44, from score line 40 to cut line 48 and, in the case of panel 46, extending from the score line 42 to the cut line 50, each bottom reinforcing panel is of a dimension substantially equivalent to the dimension lying at right angles thereto of the bottom 10. Thus, when the car-ton is folded, the panels 44 and 46 will overlie the bottom 10 and will ICE be long enough to cover substantially the entire surface.`

thereof. The relationship of the bottom panel sizes also may be stated as follows: the, length of main` bottorrr panell 10.` measured from outline 52-to cut 54 must be no` greaterthan the sum of the width of the bottom panel 10, plus the j height of sidey panel 14.v Should the distance between cut lines 52 a11d54Y be greater than this, it will` be seenthat there will be,.insuficient liberboard materialV available iu the interior end, panels 28- and 30 to permit the bottomreiuforcing panels, 44and 46 to be of suffi-I cientsize to overlie. the entirety of the bottom 10.

Self-evidently, the legs at either side of U-shaped end reinforcing panels 28 and 30 may be of any desired Width, though, as.theydecrease in size, the stacking strength of the box decreases. It would'also be possible to eliminate entirely the left-hand leg of U-shaped end panel 28, as

seen in Figure 1, or the right-hand leg of panel 30', as

seen in Figure .1 l(again, withattendant loss in stacking strength) but it is also evident that the interior legs of the panels must bev maintained to some extent so as to provide means of securing in place end panels 56 and 58 which, when the carton is assembled, represent the third thickness in the ends thereof. End panel 56' is hingedly connected to panel 28 by means of spaced score lines 60 and 62, while end panel 5.8 is hingedly connected to end panel 30hy means of spaced score lines 64 and 66.

End panels 68 and 70 represent the inner-most end walls of the assembled carton, and each is provided with a tongue, designated 72Yand 74, respectively, of a size and location to register with slot 76 or 78 of the bottom reinforcing,4 panels 44. and 46. It will be appreciated that the. inner-most of the bottom panels, whether panel 44 or 46, should be slightly shorter than the panel beneath it or, in any event, of a length slightly less than the distance between cuts 52 and 54 of bottom panel 10, thus to expose the slot 76 or 78 for' receipt of tongue 72 or 74. The other of the panels 441er 46 which is used as the intermediate reinforcing panel may be substantially the length of the main bottom panel 10.

Only a single one of the tongues 72 and 74, together with the; corresponding slots 76I and 78, is absolutely necessary, since, e.g., if panel 44 represents the middle panel of the bottom three, innermost panel 46 will have a tendency to maintain the internal end wall 68 in position, the lower-most edge of end wall 68 abutting the lead edge of panel 46 formed by line 50.

Internal end wall 68 is hinged to supporting panel 34 along spaced score lines 80 and 82 and wall 70 is hinged along spaced score lines 84 and 86 to supporting panel 36.

As shown in the drawings, the preferred structure results in the U-shaped panel members 28 and 30 appearing as mirror images of one another on opposite sides of the rectangular fiberboard blank, as shown in Figure 1. This places the two tongues 72 and 74 on one side of the rectangular blank, and results in less berboard being consumed than if the tongues were on opposite sides of the blank. However, it is evident that it is possible to cut the blank in such a fashion that one of the U-shaped panels, e.g., 28, occupies the position of the corresponding exterior wall, here 34, thus to place the U-shaped end wall panels in positions diagonally opposite one another when the blank is laid out as in Figure 1. This has certain advantages in that the exposed edge 80 of exterior wall 34 and the exposed edge 84 of exterior wall 36 will then lie diagonally opposite one another in the folded box. At the corners where edges 80 and 84 lie are the Weakest corners of the assembled carton, the overall stacking strength .is increased somewhat by placing these two edges diagonally opposite one another, rather than along a single longitudinal edge where, when cartons are piled one on the other, failure may occur.

3 A conveniently sized commercial embodiment of this carton results from a blank 371/2" by 441/2. The preferred sizes of the individual panels may be determined from the drawing, which represents the aforementioned.

371A" by 441/2 blank drawn to scale.

In erecting the container into the form shown in Figure 2, each of panels 46, 36 and 70 is bent upwardly about hinged crease 32, while the intermediate bottom reinforc ing panel 46 is bent at right angles to end wall panel 36` about crease 42. Simultaneously, side wall 16 is bent at right angles to exterior bottom panel and the opposite end wall 34 is bent at right angles to the interior-mostl bottom panel 44 about crease 40. Panels 30 and 58 are then bent inwardly about crease line 26 and side wall 14 is bent upwardly at a right angle to bot-tom 10 about crease line 12. U-shaped panel 30 is placed flush against the interior of end wall 36, and the two panels 58 and 70 which at this point are adjacent one another, are folded downwardly and tongue 74 inserted into slot 78.

The process is repeated at the opposite end of the boxv the inner-most bottom panel 44 being swung inwardly as end panel 34 is bent at right angles to side wall panel 16 about crease line 32. U-shaped panel 28 is folded inwardly so that it lies flush against side wall panel 14,and panel 44 is pressed down so that it is directly superposed on panel 46, which is now sandwiched between bottom 10 and inner reinforcing panel 44. Panel 28 is -then folded outwardly so that it lies flush against exterior end wall panel 34. The two panels 56 and 68 are thereafter swung inwardly and the tongue 72 inserted into slot 76. The cover panels 22 and 24 are folded into place after the carton has been filled with produce or the like.

This carton has been specifically designed to provide a container which is a proper balance between the desiderata of maximum stacking strength, maximum weight capacity and minimum uneven surfaces, particularly as a part of the inner-most bottom panel which, it has been observed, will damage tomatoes, peaches and the like.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated inthe appended claims.

We claim:

l. A rectangular, fiberboard blank suitable for being folded into a container for produce and the like com- 4 prising: a rectangular main bottom panel having free ends; a side panel articulated along each longitudinal edge of said main bottom panel, each of said side panels having articulated thereto along one longitudinal edge thereof a second panel of a size substantially equivalent to that of the said side panels, each of said second side panels serving as a top ap and together comprising the top for said container, each of said side panels having articulated to each lateral edge thereof an end wall panel whereby four `end wall panels are articulated to said side panels, two of said four end wall panels serving as exterior end wall panels when the said blank is assembled into a container, each of the said exterior end wall panels having articulated thereto along a first longitudinal edge a first reinforcing end wall panel of substantially equivalent size and shape, said first reinforcing end wall panel having free lateral edges and a free longitudinal edge, each of said two exterior end wall panels having articulated along a second longitudinal edge thereof a bottom reinforcing.

cient` depth into said end wall panels to supplement the.` said bottom reinforcing panels to an extent sufiicient that the said bottom reinforcing panels are each substantially the length of said main bottom panel as measured between the free ends of said main bottom panel, each of said other two of said four end wall panels having articulated along a longitudinal edge thereof a second reinforcing end wall panel of a size and shape substantially' equivalent to that of said first reinforcing end wall panel.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the said end panels having cut out portions therein are generally of a U- shape whereby said bottom reinforcing panels have centrally-disposed tongues integral therewith.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said cut out portions are so positioned as to appear as mirror images of one another when the unassembled blank is laid at.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein the said cut out portions are so positioned as to appear at diagonally opposite corners when the unassembled blank is laid fiat.

No references cited. 

